Adding to our post earlier this week about hip/psoas flexibility….here are some new stretches to add to the mix and stretch some other areas as well!
Hip/Psoas Mobility
These stretches are simple and effective stretches than can improve your body’s ability to move correctly in the golf swing. Lack of mobility and strength and function in these areas will cause you to make compensations to your golf motions.
(Thank you Washington.edu for the photo)
What is your psoas?
Two long muscles on each side of the spine. Each begins in the lower part of the spine and runs down to the iliacus (another muscle in the hips) and then attaches to the thigh bone (femur). They are the only muscles that connect your spine to your legs (upper body to lower body). The psoas muscles help you stabilize your hips, keep your pelvis aligned and therefore supports the spine. It supports your abdomen and can influence your breathing.
So, not only is it important for mobility in golf and fitness, but for overall health and strength. Our lifestyles play havoc on this area of the body, where the typical work day people go from sitting in a car, to sitting in an office, sitting in the car again…the cycle goes on and on. It is important to take time every week in bringing your body back to a balanced state. If you do not, tight psoas muscles can be very painful and set-off a series of other compensations in your hips, core and lower back. Psoas health is a necessity!
Follow these stretches as a simple solution you can do in a few minutes every week. I am sure if you do these at least 3 times a week, you will notice a difference in how your body feels and functions, especially on the golf course and everyday life!
From a hand plank or pushup position, push the rear end back and to the sky as you push the heels into the ground….create as much force into the ground with your feet as possible. At the same time, press your hands into the ground as much as you can. You will be pushing your rear-end to the sky and creating as much force as possible against the earth through the hands and the feet. Hold for 30-60 seconds while you continue to inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth. Rest and repeat x 3.
Lay on your back and open the arms so your palms are to the sky. Bring the bottoms of your feet together so they are touching and open your knees to the outside. Raise your hips off the ground and pull your core tight, feeling like you are pulling your belly button into your back. Hold for 30-60 seconds. Rest and repeat x3.
Sit on the ground and extend the torso and head as tall and neutral as possible in the spine. Keeping chest tall, extend left leg and pull the right ankle in as you bend the right leg. Using your hands, pull the right leg across the left thigh as close to your torso as possible. Hold for 30 seconds. From here, bend the left leg and lay the right ankle across the left knee, lean back on the hands and keep chin up and spine neutral…the more you bend the left knee, the more stretch you get in your glutes, hip, piriformis and hips. Hold for 60 seconds. Repeat both positions on the opposite side.
- Using a chair or step behind you, place left toe behind you on chair and stand on right leg. Hold 30 seconds. Breathe through nose and exhale through mouth. Use deep belly breaths.
- Extend left arm up and reach as high as you can to ceiling. Hold stretch and breathe for 30 seconds. Rest.
- Reach up again, now lean and reach across your head to the right. Breathe and hold stretch for 30 seconds.
- Repeat on other side: standing on left leg, right leg up and reach with right arm. Do a,b,c on both legs x 3.
*** This stretch can be modified for a deeper stretch by taking it to the ground and getting into a runners lunge position as shown in the picture on the right. Rather than standing you will lunge into the front leg and allow the ground to open up the rear leg and hip flexor.
Lay on back and pull knees to chest and hold for 30 seconds….rock side to side if you want to help massage the spine. From here, Kick out the left foot and keep the right knee bent and pull it across the body so it’s laying over the out-stretched leg. Lay the right hand as far back to the right as you can, palm facing the sky. Hold this position for 30 seconds. Increasing the stretch by using the left hand to pull the right knee as close to the ground as possible. Go back to start Repeat x 3 on each side.
Sit on floor and knees in and feet flat. Good neutral posture with spine. Allow both hips and knees to drop to the right, getting knees to touch the floor or as close as you can to doing so without changing posture or twisting the torso….the torso should face forward while the hips and legs are moving. Switch directions and push knees back to the top and allow them to drop to the other side. Repeat x 20 each side.